Large scale hydroisomerization reactions of n-heptane on partially reduced MoO3/TiO2 Original Research Article

Hydroisomerization of n-heptane on the bifunctional molybdenum MoO2−x(OH)y phase has been carried out at industrial conditions in terms of temperature, pressure and space velocity. A conversion of 78% and 82% in isomerization selectivity were obtained at 623 K, 5 bar pressure, 30 SLPH and 0.8 h−1 LHSV using 15 g of the catalyst. Complete transformation of n-heptane to isomerization products was observed below the saturation limit of n-heptane reactant to the available active sites at 0.8 h−1 LHSV. Time on stream experiments for 70 h did not show any changes in neither the conversion nor the isomerization selectivity. The stability and the resistance of the catalytic systems towards poisoning by hydrocarbon species are attributed to the particular position of Mo atoms placed along the C-axis of the deformed rutile structure of this phase.